Results 15,741-15,760 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Expenditure (3 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Party Leader’s Allowance is provided for in the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) Act, 1938, as amended by the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Amendment) Act, 2001. The allowance is paid to the parliamentary leader of a qualifying party in relation to expenses arising from the parliamentary activities, including research, of the party. A...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Expenditure (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 215 together. I as the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform have responsibility for civil service pensions and for pensions paid from the Central Fund. Statutory responsibility for other public service pension schemes is a matter in the first instance for the respective Ministers in other Departments, as appropriate. The data in the following...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: On the 17th of July 2012, the Government announced its plans for an additional 2.25 billion euro investment in public infrastructure projects in Ireland. The stimulus package comprises two elements: 1.4 billion euro to fund the proposed new Public Private Partnerships (PPP) programme. This will come from the European Investment Bank, the National Pensions Reserve Fund, domestic banks and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Legislation (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: There are no plans to make any changes with regard to contributions to existing spouses' and children's schemes. The Deputy may be aware that the Commission on Public Service Pensions examined the issue of compulsory pension scheme membership in its Final Report on Public Service Pensions in 2000. It did not recommend any change either in the rules providing for automatic membership of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The Exchequer returns were published this afternoon and are available on the website of the Department of Finance and via my own Department's website. The total net Exchequer capital spend to end September amounted to €1.7 billion. This represents 47% of the total net capital estimate (€3.6 billion) for the year, which means that €1.9 billion remains to be spent. For...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Allowances (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The table shows the allowances and payment rates being paid to certain staff in my Department. Many of these are “common” or “general service allowances” i.e. allowances that are in payment to civil servants across more than one Department. Business cases were prepared in this Department for allowances which were paid to civil servants across more than one...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Statistics (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Details of Government expenditure in nominal terms and expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product are detailed in the table. The figures for Total Government Expenditure listed are consistent with Table 1 from the Budgetary and Economic Statistics publication, updated to reflect more recently available data. The figures include central fund services, gross voted current expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Reform Review (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The proposals as set out below were accepted by the Public Services Committee of the ICTU on 14 December 2011. The new standardised leave arrangements will facilitate the creation of a more mobile public service by having personnel across diverse sectors and organisations with harmonized conditions of employment. In addition the new arrangements address annual leave anomalies which may have...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Tenders (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: In light of the need to accelerate the reform agenda, late last year my Department published the Public Service Reform Plan. This plan identified procurement reform as a key instrument that can assist the public service to deliver services in an efficient manner. The National Procurement Service (NPS) has put in place a number of national arrangements designed to secure better value for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Croke Park Agreement Savings (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Significant savings have accrued as a result of initiatives already carried through using the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014. An estimated €810m in sustainable pay bill savings have been achieved during the first two years of the Agreement. A total of €678m in non-pay savings were also reported for that period. Savings and reforms associated with the Agreement are matters...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Upward Only Rent Reviews (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: My Department does not have access to up-to-date information at the level of detail sought by the Deputy; this would be available in those Departments and public service bodies which lease property to tenants on a commercial basis. However, I am informed that negotiations are being entered into with affected tenants on a case-by-case basis and arrangements arrived at in the light of the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Remuneration (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The matter referred to by the Deputy is an issue that in the first instance falls to my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills to deliberate on in consultation with my Department. In the particular case referred to by the Deputy this consultation process by the Department of Education and Skills and my Department has not yet been concluded.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Recruitment (2 Oct 2012)

Brendan Howlin: No retired civil or public servants have been rehired by my Department. With regard to the Agencies under the aegis of my Department the outgoing chairman of the board of the Public Appointments Service was reappointed by me in September 2011 (he is a former Civil Servant). Additionally in the course of running recruitment competitions for the public service, the Public Appointments...

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Well Willie?

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pensions Expenditure (27 Sep 2012)

Brendan Howlin: The figures for the cost of public service pensions in 2011 are published in the Revised Estimates for 2012. Table 4A shows that the net exchequer pensions bill for 2011 is €2,216,792,000. Table 5 shows that the gross exchequer pensions bill for 2011 is €2,752,456,000.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Issues (27 Sep 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Data on pay ranges of public servants consists of estimated aggregate data across some 292,000 employees and is based on the best information available to my Department. The data included in Parliamentary Question No 39606/12 reflected updated, more detailed data received following the departure of a substantial staff cohort on the expiry of the “grace period” in February 2012....

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (26 Sep 2012)

Brendan Howlin: Seldom are some of the powers utilised and there is an extraordinary potential for the Oireachtas to do more. Let me give an instance, and one that I shall give to the Committee of Public Accounts when I appear before it. We have changed the budgetary system here at my instigation last year. We produced a three year envelope of expenditure, in terms of the ceilings for every Department, in...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (26 Sep 2012)

Brendan Howlin: -----by Parliament saying that we want to make the budget because the blunt view is that it is my job. One cannot have it both ways. One cannot say make Parliament responsible but, like good holy men of old, not yet. We need to be proactive. I noted Senator Bradford's comment on working as if behind a pane of glass when I waited in the Visitors Gallery. He was right and many people said...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (26 Sep 2012)

Brendan Howlin: That does not give much time for Senators to consider their amendments but I will examine the matter. I thank Senator Harte for his contribution and take his point that it is very important to ensure that the public has confidence in the way that State agencies conduct their business. The Ombudsman can play a compelling and important role in ensuring that the objective is achieved. I hope...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (26 Sep 2012)

Brendan Howlin: I thank all Members who participated in what was a good debate. I thank Members for the welcome I received. I enjoy coming in as the debates are more calm than some of the debates in the other House. I will not deal with all the points made because that is not possible in the time available. The legislation is part of an elaborate suite of reform legislation that I will have the privilege...